Kidnap: Court strikes out council boss’s name from suit

An Anambra State High Court, sitting in Onitsha, yesterday struck out the name of the Transition Chairman of Idemili North Local Government Area, Mr. Raphael Nnabuife, as the sixth respondent in the application filed by Prince Christopher Udoh, the proprietor of Arthur Garden Hotels, Nkpor.

Udoh is demanding N5 million damages from the police for the closure of his hotels and his “unlawful” detention.

He is also praying the court to order the respondents and their agents to release him from police custody, where he has been since August 9.

Udoh’s hotels were sealed and he was detained, following the arrest of suspected kidnappers in one of the branches.

In a counter-affidavit, Nnabuife said he is not a policeman and did not make any complaint to the police against Udoh to warrant being included as a respondent in the application.

Justice J. I. Nweze struck out Nnabuife’s name from the application and awarded N10,000 against the applicant in his favour.